Esports

Esports is a team or individual multiplayer online gaming competition that is recognized as a sport in many countries. Online and offline competitions have been a part of video game culture for a long time. But it wasn’t until the late 2000s that they began to gain popularity thanks to the development of the Internet, multiplayer games, and streaming services. Thanks to this, esports gradually turned from amateur to more professional: with teams, tournaments, big cash prizes, and, most importantly, millions of viewers.

How it all began

Computer games began to gain popularity at the turn of the millennium. Esports has grown rapidly since the Quake III Arena shooter. Then the world was not yet globally covered by the Internet, so gamers gathered in teams and played over a local network. Gradually, game fans began to hold tournaments when playing online casinos. There were more and more esports fans, and the competition quickly entered the world arena.

Virtual sports betting is one of the fastest-growing forms of entertainment in the iGaming industry. Participants are betting money on matches that have never happened and will not happen in reality. Pure computer simulation. Why are they doing it?

Esports: pros and cons

A professional esports player is a person who plays one of the esports disciplines at tournaments and competitions. Players who play for a certain organization receive a salary, the amount of which directly depends on their experience and skills. The higher the status of the tournament, the higher the fee. But are there only positive aspects in esports?

Pros

• Availability

It doesn’t matter where you live — all you need to play is a computer and a stable internet connection. You can start your career right in your apartment. Of course, there are centralized tournaments that you need to come to, but online competitions are fine for a start. Even some people with disabilities can be e-sportsmen; they can perform on an equal footing with everyone.

• Perspective

Cybersport is constantly evolving and gaining more and more popularity. An increasing number of tournaments with great prize money appear each year around the world. From dusty, small, dark computer clubs, tournaments have moved to giant sports arenas. The prize money is comparable to the fees of professional athletes, while the number of viewers on the Internet reaches millions and grows with each tournament.

• Public recognition

A large community of fans is being formed around cyber sportsmen, they are asked for autographs and photos, they are invited to appear in commercials, which are then broadcast on the Internet and television. Even the Olympic Committee is already seriously thinking about expanding the list of competitive disciplines at the expense of popular video games.

Cons

• Instability of earnings

As in big sport, there is a certain hierarchy in esports disciplines too. There are not famous teams/players with a fairly mediocre skill level for the pro-scene, and there are world-class teams whose name is on everyone’s lips. The first category, unfortunately, is content with prize money from minor local tournaments and a small salary from sponsors.

• Losing a lot of time

To achieve a decent result, you need to play and train a lot. You need to keep in touch with other players and fans. Lead an active social life to get noticed. Players are forced to work on team interaction for a long time, train reflexes, look for new tactics, etc. Contrary to some misconceptions, some office or factory workers often have much more free time than a gamer playing on the professional stage.

• Not everyone can become a leader

In fact, fantasies are often shattered against harsh reality. Some people simply can’t make it to the top 5% in virtual contests. Someone does not have strategic thinking; others have a problem with reaction time. So it turns out that some earn millions while still studying in school, while fans who play their entire life show mediocre results.

It is crucial to understand what you want. Whether you are playing to chill out or want to conquer the esports scene. It is suggested to have backup options, to think over escape routes in case of failure. Weigh the pros and cons, and only then get down to business.

The eSports industry has surged in the past few years. The number of viewers and sale figures for the live eSports tournaments are increasing. The numbers may not be equal to those of sporting events, but this emerging industry has the potential to grow even more.

The eSports industry is already popular in Asian countries and the USA, but its popularity is growing in countries like New Zealand. New Zealand eSports Federation strives hard to promote, regulate, and bring more people to the eSports world. Professional players earn decent money in various competitions and tournaments. However, it is important to know which eSports games are very popular in the country today. Let’s find out:

Counter-Strike

Counter-Strike has been one of the most popular video games since the late 90s, and people engage in various competitions to play this game. Thus, without a doubt, this is the most popular eSports games in New Zealand. Two teams of five players each play against each other, whereby the simple concept is based on the tactical game. Therefore, it is suitable for beginners as a simple viewer sport, but at the same time offers a lot of depth for experienced spectators.

There is one thing that makes Counter-Strike different from all the other video games is that it commenced the gambling scene in the eSports world. Just like real online casinos, players could receive cosmetic changes, also known as skin, while playing the game. However, this had no value outside the game, but players developed a huge love for this element in the game. They could play and use these in the game, which led to a betting system in which the purely cosmetic items were used as currency and could then be exchanged for real money. This is the reason why CSGO became the most popular eSports game not in just New Zealand but other parts of the world, according to KiwiGambler research. Nonetheless, six years ago, after a rigged game scandal, the studio quickly changed the way trading in the game works. But we can say that from this initially developed esports betting scene, it would not have come about at all.

Fortnite

This eSport game is rapidly growing in popularity in the country. Although it is proliferating, many would not consider this video game a true esports game due to the huge changes being made before major events and countless efforts to bring the game’s competitive scene to a standstill. However, Epic (publisher) announcing a $20 million prize pool in 2021 for Fortnite competitive scene speaks for itself. The prize pool in the 2019 World Cup was around $30 million. It’s also the only game on the list that is available on platforms. While Counter-Strike is only played on the computer, Fortnite can be played leagues on the gaming consoles such as Xbox and PlayStation along with the computer. In addition, its mobile version is also available for iOS and Android platforms. This video game is also the only one that allows cross-play between platforms. So, no matter what platform you choose to play on, you can play with your friends. For instance, if you are playing on your mobile phone and your friends play on PlayStation, you can play together.

League of Legends

It can be said that it is the largest and most famous eSport game worldwide. This game accounts for over fifty per cent of the total gaming time online. Events are held around the world, including the growing World Cup, with some of the world’s largest stadiums sold out before the global pandemic. Plus, millions of viewers join these events online via popular streaming services. In addition, League of Legends (AKA LoL) was a pioneer when it came to achieving great value with its tournaments and events. Although games like Counter-Strikes appeared here and there, others didn’t follow until the region-specific leagues within LoL worked towards higher production value.

Signing Off

Thus, these are the top three eSports games in New Zealand. The eSports scene will continue to grow in the future as more people and institutions are interested. We can also see how slowly larger organizations found in bigger sports like basketball start investing in their own teams. It will probably not be long when eSports overtake regular sports in popularity. The leagues in multiple countries will compete against each other, and more studios will come forward to promote the games. The future of eSports also seems bright in New Zealand as more and more people have attracted thanks to New Zealand eSports Federation.

Although eSports has recently established itself as one of the fastest-growing markets in India, it first rose to prominence in the country back in 2012. Since then, Startup Talky reports that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has been the region’s most popular competitive gaming title. Over the past decade, increasing numbers of creations have hit the market and added much-needed depth to the sector. With that, let’s take a look at which games are growing India’s eSports market and how they’re developing broader entertainment streams.

CS: GO’s Popularity is There for All to See

Based on the above, there’s only one place to start, and that’s with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The Valve Corporation title has continuously captivated India’s gaming community, which has opened the door to eSports opportunities. According to Esports Earnings, India currently ranks 39th regarding competitive earnings from CS:GO, having amassed just over $266,000 in winnings. Moreover, Agneya Koushik is now one of the country’s best CS:GO players and the 23-year-old is an in-game leader for BL4ZE Esports. Since being founded in 2019, the Indian organization has sought to bring together online communities in the entertainment industry and connect with their audiences by streaming on Twitch and uploading content to YouTube.

The sense of community that stems from eSports in India is a microcosm of broader trends in the country’s entertainment market. While CS:GO is one development that strives to unite audiences through streaming, this is also a common approach within the online casino sector. At Genesis Casino, a casino online in India, the operator provides the gaming community with access to immersive, real-time content via video streaming. The platform has a vast array of real-time games, including Crazy Time, Green Diamond, Lightning Roulette, and many more, showcasing that web-based casinos share eSports’ interest in enhancing experiences for the online community.

Shooters are Retaining Their Appeal

Over the last few years, Battle Royale titles have grown increasingly common within India’s competitive gaming sector. Sportskeeda reports that Garena Free Fire was the highest-earning title in the South Asian country in 2020. The free-to-play third-person development’s newfound popularity has seen it become a focal point of India’s eSports sector. Because of that, Garena, Free Fire’s developers, set out to launch four major events in 2021 with a combined prize pool of approximately $272,200.

In addition to Free Fire, Call of Duty: Mobile is also taking India’s eSports industry by storm. According to Dot Esports, the country ranks second behind the United States for the market share of CoD: Mobile’s total downloads. As a result of the title’s mobile success, India now has its own competitive Call of Duty division, known as the Indian Gaming League – Call of Duty Mobile.

Counter-Strike Laid the Foundations

There can be no doubts that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive set something of a precedent within India regarding eSports gaming preferences. Over the past decade, shooters have enjoyed the most success within the country, and that’s only grown more prominent following the rise of mobile gaming. Because of that, it’s hard to see another genre claiming the crown over the coming years.

Rocket League, the video game best described as soccer with cars, has been curiously absent from the mobile market despite the platform becoming integral to the success of many of its competitors, including Call of Duty, Fortnite, and PUBG. However, developer Psyonix will now seek to end the franchise’s mobile shyness by launching the spin-off game Rocket League Sideswipe in 2021.

Aerial Play

Sideswipe sounds much like its big-screen counterpart. It will feature many of the same customization options as Rocket League, for instance, and retain the player ranking system. It will be interesting to see if players will be able to use their existing Rocket League cars and game account to play Sideswipe though, as some existing elements are premium, seasonal, or otherwise time-limited.

Rocket League Sideswipe finished an alpha test in New Zealand and Australia in March. In footage from the test, players were competing on a pitch viewed side-on, with goals orientated vertically instead of horizontally. It also seems to place much more of an emphasis on aerial play from the start, a skill that’s difficult to master in the original game.

eSports

New Zealand has enjoyed some success in the online gaming niche this year. In April, the country hosted the fifth round of the eSports WRC Championship event, a tournament won – as expected – by Lebanon’s Sami-Joe. Sport New Zealand also officially recognized the New Zealand Esports Federation as the national regulator for eSports, a step that further legitimizes competitive video gaming in the Southern Hemisphere.

Recently, New Zealand has grown popular with a different online gaming market altogether, iGaming or casino. The number of websites now serving the country is approaching 30. The Department of Internal Affairs revealed that spending on casino games broke records in 2020. Bonus.net.nz has more on New Zealand’s prominence as a gaming haven in their recent no deposit casino bonus article.

Having said all that, Rocket League in the Southern Hemisphere made the headlines for all the wrong reasons recently, with controversy over match-throwing during the Oceanic Championship. Team Esper is alleged to have allowed opponents FURY to win their match-up, which ultimately handed a play-off position to the latter.

Fortnite

It’s unknown at present whether Rocket League Sideswipe will join the eSports circuit alongside its franchise mate. As Rocket League’s professional competition is usually played in a 3v3 or 4v4 arrangement though, something that won’t be possible in Sideswipe, which will favor shorter 1v1 and 2v2 games, the new mobile game could add a unique twist to existing tournaments. It’ll be played at a much faster pace, for one.

Psyonix staff indicated that Sideswipe was a response to changes in how the community plays Rocket League. Smaller matches have historically been unpopular though. Solo duel or 1v1 is difficult to queue for and even harder to maintain competition in, as players will often forfeit when losing or if they’re matched against a stronger opponent. This suggests that Psyonix is targeting a new set of players, something they’ve hinted at before with the Llama-Rama Fortnite crossover event.

Esports continues to draw a lot of attention, inspired by the rapid growth witnessed over the last few years. 2020, particularly, was a big year for eSports. After the pandemic, more people realized the potential, and the convenience of the venture and key brands recorded massive registration of new users. Gamers found more opportunities beyond the ordinary games in casinos and free slots NZ to consolidate the experience.

As the month of March begins, we curate a list of eSports movers and shakers for the past month of February.

• Former eSports player Stefan Chong has been appointed the EVOS Esports liaison between the company and brands and other stakeholders.
• Luckbox, an esports betting website owned by Real Luck Group Ltd, has appointed a new Chief Customer Officer in Thomas Rosander. He was formerly the CEO of Dunder Casino, Business Intelligence Director at EA, one of the biggest game developers, among other roles.
• Luckbox has also announced former Red Bull and Riot Games Nevzat Ucar as its new Head of Content. Ucar’s leading role at Luckbox will be in marketing and heading the company’s global content strategy.
• Christie St. Martin has been appointed the new Chief Content Officer of the women-led Queens Gaming Collective. She will also double as the company’s spokesperson to help grow the brand’s reputation in the growing industry.
• Fnatic, an eSports company based in London, has also announced Patrick Foster’s appointment as its Chief Financial Officer. He serves as the company’s first CFO, and has been tasked with steering the company through its next growth phase.
• Fnatic has also appointed Georgina Workman as their new Head of Production. Her role will be to support the available creative aspects of the venture.
• Vindex has a new Director of Human Resources. Iraisa Jones takes the role, and her first assignment will be to build a ‘robust talent-focused function that drives employee and business success. Before joining Vindex, Jones worked at the American Cancer Society as a Regional Human Resource Director.
• LDN UTD, an eSports organization based in the UK, has added Andrew Bloch to its advisory board. Bloch will be joining a board that already includes Charlotte Webster, Chrome Management CEO, and Sree Varma, the CEO of iSportconnect.
• FaZe Clan, a top North American eSports company, has named former BIG3 CEO Amit Bajaj as the company’s new Chief Financial Officer. Besides working with other members of staff to seek more opportunities for FaZe, Bajaj will also be tasked with overseeing corporate development.
• Gaming-arena developer Belong, a subsidiary of Vindex has made several changes in its management structure. New appointees include Kasey Kramer, formerly of Major League Gaming and Activision Blizzard Esports; Pablo Arizmendi-Kalb, the former regional Vice president of Starbucks, Myrna Rich-Ray, formerly of HBO; and Angelo Rossi.

Kramer will serve as the Head of Product, while Arizmendi-Kalb will be the Chief Operating Officer for Belong Gaming Arena.

Rich-Ray has been appointed the Vice President of Human Resources, while Rossi will be the new Chief Financial Officer.

There will be more changes in several eSports companies before the end of March, and we’ll be bringing you all the notable movers and shakers of the industry throughout the year.

Cricket Games Meant For The Android Phone Users. Cricket is one of the most cherished games throughout the world, giving a close cut competition to all other sports. The cash-rich game consists of three main categories – Test match, ODI and T20, the latter being introduced a few years ago. And in the past few years, the popularity of the game has reached a par level. The International Council of Cricket is now, in fact, making efforts to include the game in the Olympics which is the next big event of sports. The council is stretching their arms to the other Asian countries and make the game all the more interesting.

However, the game is just not limited to the field and the tv screens now. Among other famous video games, cricket has roped its way through in the list of top favourite games. It has evolved to the extent of being one of the best high-tech games with quality reflexes and real-life animations.

Furthermore, the developers have now indulged in creating more android friendly games that could easily be accessible to everyone. One can get the cricket game effortlessly from the play store app and get all the fun of the cricket in their pockets. Below is the list of the best android cricket games to be played.

Best Cricket Games for the Android Phones

World Cricket Championship 2:

Featuring all the three formats of the cricket – Test cricket, ODI and T20, WCC2 is one of the best mobile games available on an android phone. Its stunning real-life 3-D graphics gives the player the actual feel of the game, making it a dynamic game for mobiles. The cricket game is easily available on the Playstore application in every android mobile.

This cricket game has 45+ cricketing shots, power-packed tournaments to be played in about 32 stadiums. It allows one to play the famous events such as World Cup, T20, Blitz Tournament and Test cricket such as Ashes. WCC 2 is a dynamic game in the hoard of football, FIFA and NFS type of games.

From the start of the sports era, cricket has dominated any and all other games in the real world throughout. And the introduction of other formats in cricket along with different leagues taking place, the fever has only increased if possible. Increasing it furthermore, cricket fans are now rewarded with high-tech, 3-D and quality animated cricket games. Although cricket has been a part of the video games ever since the famous 1983 Prudential Cup, it never could gain the attraction as it did in real life.

Discussed below is the list of few latest cricket games that are easily available for the IOS users.

Best Latest Cricket Games Available on IOS:

Real Cricket 19

For a die-hard cricket fan, Real Cricket 19 is one of the best cricket games to be released in 2019. It gives the most authentic, complete and surreal cricket experience in dynamic 3-dimensional graphics. The game runs over the USP of its one of the freshly introduced feature of playing head-on against a player in real-time.

However, this is not the only additional feature of the dynamic game. The new Real Cricket 19 presents a highly updated version of its predecessors. It has a recently updated setting called the “ultra settings”. By turning this mode on, the player experiences advanced animation effects and control panels in the game. The feature, in fact, allows the player to even control the weather conditions in the game as climate plays a vital role in cricket. It allows the player to choose which time of the day they prefer to experience different lightings and scenery.

This dynamic game comes with different game modes that allow the player to experience different formats of cricket. The Real Cricket 19, however, has limited modes free to play while several other special features need to be unlocked through in-app purchases.

Best Cricket Games Available Online for World-Wide Gamers. In the world of mobile and Xbox games, there are gamers who look for playing games online, in real-time. The real-time quality of online gaming makes it one of the most interesting features where the result is always unpredictable. It allows one to play with different gamers across the globe. This is what has the recent action-filled Pubg game rise in the popularity chart.

However, action and racing games are not the only games available on the online platform. Recently, a few websites have launched cricket games along with other feature games to be easily accessible online. Here is the list of few websites that allow gamers to easily access one of the best online cricket games.

List of the Cricket Games Available Online

Cricketgamesatme.com

There was a time when at every corner of the street a bunch of kids were seen playing cricket in the street. Now the time has changed and with the developers creating websites such as cricketgamesatme.com the game has been upgraded to the nth level.

It is the era of science and technology where children are seen less in the parks, spending more and more time on video games. Playing online cricket games has certainly gained the hike with its followers spread across the globe. Cricketgamesatme.com nurtures the need and fantasy of the cricket lovers bringing forth a varied collection of online cricket games with updates.

This is one of the most popular websites available to kinder the thirst of winning an IPL or lifting the coveted World Cup trophy. The website offers various cricket games, however, five famous and games offered by them are: Online Cricket 2011, Super Cricket, Tap Cricket, India vs Pakistan and Cricket All Rounder.

Given below is the link to the website, being a cricket lover one can never ignore the itch to check out the games offered by them.

http://www.cricketgamesatme.com/

CricketGames.me

The cricketgames.me is another online web domain that is totally dedicated to inspiring and promoting cricket. The website has a collection of different categories of games which allows one to explore and practice controls in the game.

Their collection of flash cricket games includes batting games, tests catch games and more. Whereas they have cricket games like IPL cricket ultimate, IPL Cricket 2013, Online Cricket, Cricket World Cup 2011, India vs England and many more.

Given below is the link to the best online cricket game website:

http://www.cricketgames.me/

Stick Sports

Stick Sports is an Adobe Flash sports gaming website that offers the user a free domain to play various games. Stick Cricket is one of those game categories available for all the cricket lovers. To play on this free cricket domain the system has to be Adobe Flash friendly.

Stick Cricket is a game where the player tries to score as many runs as possible in two, five, ten or twenty overs. The game has various game modes such as ‘Academy’, ‘World T2’, ‘Stick Cricket Multiplayer’, ‘Ashes Fan Challenge’, ‘Ashes Dominator’ and the most in-demand ‘World Domination’. In the ‘World Domination’ mode, the player has to defeat the 18 world best cricket teams among which Australia, India, and South Africa are the top three ranking teams.

The website allows the user to play from their favorite country the games that take out as far back as 1974 to the final test in Sydney of the Ashes. Given below is the link to the best portal of the cricket website.

http://www.sticksports.com/games/

Cricket games at atmegame.com

The atmegame.com is among the leading gaming sports websites which basically targets Asian Subcontinent nations for cricket games. Cricket is largely followed by the Asian subcontinent and thus a big number of cricket gamers emerge from here.

The cricket game portal features most of the famous cricket formats available on the famous apps. They feature Cricket World Cup 2011, India vs Australia, Gully Cricket, The Dominator Cup, India vs Pakistan, Cricket Umpire Decision and World T20 Cricket Championships.

The World Cup 2011 allows the cricket fans to relive all the matches of the special World Cup 2011 where India registered their historic win after the 1983 Prudential Cup. However, given below is the link to the cricket website to explore more about the amazing cricket games they’re offering.

https://www.atmegame.com/online-cricket-games

Online Cricket Games at Zapak.com

Playing online cricket games has now become as real as playing actual cricket on the field. The enhanced technologies have only increased the craze of the game to the virtual world as well. There are websites allowing the users to experience a real-time cricket game where they challenge other gamers from any other country.

Among the hoard of these domains, zapak.com is a name that allows the users to play dozens of cricket games such as IPL, ODI, Test cricket and many more. The domain empowers the users to play 3D cricket games, or the Quick Cricket where the user can start the game as soon as they choose whether to bat or bowl. These are just a few names in the lot the website is offering. Given below is the link to the website full of various cricket games.

https://www.zapak.com/category/cricket

Racing games are one of the best mind simulation games. It drives one through the few imaginary and mostly real-life streets that one would’ve only heard of till now. They present themselves with the opportunity to rash drive and race with deadly opponents. With most of them presenting real-life experiences, car racing games has over time become an addiction. In fact, racing games were the first in the industry to overcome the lack of buttons. The developers bettered their software with the emergence of touch mobile phones – smartphones.

The speed, the race, the difficult racing tracks, cheering-booing audiences, and most importantly the cars-bikes, are the best things about racing games. Here is the list of the racing games available on iPhones to help one to conquer the streets of the game with high drift racing skills.

List of the Best Racing Games Available on iPhones

Asphalt Airborne 8:

Gameloft released another version of Asphalt series in 2018 that featured much more difficult tracks. The Asphalt 8 Airborne sports tracks with ramps that would require the player to jump, with their car. And every jump would earn the player with a nitro boost, the longer the airtime, the longer the boost. The players can also perform flat spins and barrel rolls which can be done using normal ramps or curved ramps.

However, the famous racing simulation game is all about its name, with a bunch of stunts and knocking down opponents. Even now it is one of the best in the industry with quite a number of events to keep one engaged.

Where to Download:

The game is absolutely free to download from the Apple app store.

https://apps.apple.com/app/asphalt-8-airborne/id610391947